Coral Bleaching
My interest in the environment and our impact on it started in 2004 whilst on a backpacking trip around Australia. Whilst taking part in the usual tourist activities such as snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef or Croc spotting on the Daintree, the emphasis from the guides was on human impact and natures decline.
But then life got in the way and mine and everyone else’s impact on the environment wasn’t top of my agenda and anyway, how could some bleached coral reefs on the opposite side of the world have any impact on us Brits?
I’ve come full circle again and am now that I am supposed to be a responsible adult and mum of two children I started to take an interest in what was going on in the Big world outside of my bubble and how that affects us as a family and my children in the future.
Coral bleaching happens when corals lose their vibrant colours and turn white, Corals are bright because of microscopic algae, But when the ocean environment changes—if it gets too hot, for instance—the coral stresses out and expels the algae. As the algae leaves, the coral fades until it looks like it has been bleached of all colour.
So how does Coral Bleaching taking place on the opposite side of the world affect you and yours??
Do you work out and eat a high-protein diet?
Is seafood something you include in your everyday diet?
Do you or anyone you know work in the seafood industry?
Would you one day like to take a trip to Australia and snorkel or dive on the Barrier Reef?
If you have answered yes to any of the above then Coral Bleaching if not now will very shortly affect what you see now as your normal way of life.
How??
Coral reefs are not just a nice tourist attraction to visit they play a vital part in the ecosystem, there are thousands of marine animals that depend on coral reefs for their day-to-day survival including Turtles, Fish, Crabs, shrimp, and many more.
The bleaching of coral reefs also adds to the serious issue of overfishing as when the coral bleaches and dies, this removes links in the marine food web and takes away a vital area for the natural habitats to develop and thrive.
Climate Change is one of the triggers, that causes Coral Bleaching, as the planet warms so does the sea and even the smallest increase in temperature as little as 2 degrees Fahrenheit starts the process of Coral Bleaching.
The outcome if the increase in temperature continues is more coral bleaching, more loss of ecosystems, Jobs lost, tourist and fishing industries lost, and finally, a whole food source lost for all of us forever.
So if like me Climate Change had slipped off your radar or just simply isn’t up there in your list of priorities then please start today to increase your knowledge of your impact on the environment.
If we are all aware of our individual impact and start making small changes, the many small changes will hopefully lead to a big change. If not for yourself and your way of life then start the change for your children and their children and ensure that we are not the generation that sat back and watched whilst the world died.